Savage X Fenty X Lingerie Industry
By Winny Joseph
Business Fashion Writer
Rihanna has been shaking up the Lingerie Industry in the last two years with her 2019 Savage X Fenty fashion show for New York fashion week. The 2020 Annual Savage X Fenty fashion show hosted by Rihanna in California, aired on Amazon prime Friday, October 2nd. The brand featured top celebrities and influencers on social media, as they walked on her garden-themed runway. Models included Lizzo, Demi Moore, Rico Nasty, Willow Smith, and Paris Hilton. There were also performances by Travis Scott, Rosalia, and Miguel. The viewers were amazed by the inclusivity and diversity of the show, which even featured the Brand’s first-ever Men’s undergarment wear collection.
Shortly after, Rihanna began receiving a lot of backlash from the Muslim community for using the song “Doom” by CouCou Chloe. The controversial song included samples of Islamic Hadith, a collection of traditions and sayings from the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Rihanna reacted on Tuesday by apologizing via her Instagram account (@badgalriri). Her apology is as follows: “ I’d like to thank the Muslim community for pointing out a huge oversight that was unintentionally offensive in our Savage X Fenty show”, Rihanna wrote. “I would more importantly like to apologize to you for this honest, yet careless mistake. We understand that we have hurt many of our Muslim brothers and sisters, and I’m incredibly disheartened by this!” She continued, saying: “ I do not play with any kind of disrespect toward God or any religion and therefore the use of the song in our project was completely irresponsible! Moving forward we will make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Thank you for your forgiveness and understanding, Rih.” The apology from Rihanna showed that she listens to her consumers and her call for immediate change. Something brands like Victoria’s Secret have failed to do in the past.
Rihanna launched Savage X Fenty in May of 2018. From the start, the Rihanna prioritized inclusivity, just like her makeup brand, Fenty Beauty. Savage X Fenty has sizes ranging from XS to 3XL and multiple shades of nudes, with models of all sizes and shapes in the show. Before the launch of Savage X Fenty, the competing brand, Victoria’s Secret would host a huge fashion show for their lingerie collection with 1.4 billion viewers in 192 countries. However, now it seems that Savage X Fenty has taken the crown. Victoria Secret has struggled to keep up and relate with its consumers in this post #metoo era and refuses to evolve into a diverse brand. The company has
also filed for bankruptcy, while Savage X Fenty provides a new empowering alternative for consumers. Unlike Victoria Secret, Savage X Fenty is not advertising that all women should aspire to look like supermodels. Instead, the brand encourages women to be comfortable in their everyday bodies.
The lingerie industry has always lacked in embracing realistic body positivity, inclusivity, and diversity. While Savage X Fenty is not the only brand to embrace inclusivity in the lingerie industry, Rihanna’s affiliation has helped start conversations followed by actions.
Online buyers waited for many hours to access the Savage X Fenty website on its launch day and, the entire debut collection sold out in about a month. Now, Savage X Fenty has expanded and offers more than 800 styles, with prices ranging from $10 to $100. Not to mention, shipping is offered in 210 countries. Also, on the Savage X Fenty website, consumers are offered a membership program called “Xtra VIP”. The program includes exclusive deals and offers, early access to product releases, and personalized boxes. Subscription services are a great way to connect with customers, create a community, and test out new products. Some lingerie companies are failing to join the growing trend, while other companies have since changed their ways after noticing Savage X Fenty’s positive feedback.
Contact Winny at josephwi@shu.edu